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morn-inn THOMAS AND EMMANUEL PREvosT, or OREFELD, GERMANY.

PROCESS .OF ME RCERIZING UNDERTENSION.

srncr'rrcnrrorv forming part of Letters Patent No. 00,826, dated March15, 1898.

Application filed June 4, 1896. SerialNol 594,306. (No specimens.)Patented in Germany March 23, 1895, No. 85,564; in France March 30,1895No. 246,244, and November. 18, 1895, No. 238,948; inAustrialipri16,1895,No. /3,797, and January 8,1896, No. 46/2360; inEngland September 26,1895, N0.18,040, andSeptember 18, 1896,110. 20,714, and

in Belgium February 6,1896,No.92,001.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit knownthat we, RICHARD THOMAS and EMMANUEL Pianvosnsubjectsof theKingof Prussia, Emperor of Germany, and residents of Grefeld, in theKingdom of Prussia and German Empire,have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Processes of Mercerizin g Vegetable Fibers, (forwhich we have obtained patents in Germany,No. 85,564, dated March 23,1895, and No. 4,653, IV/Sb, dated ,SeptemberS, 1895; in Austria, No. T45, F 3,797, dated April 6, 1895, and No. T 46, F 2,260, dated January8, .1896; in France, No. 246,244, dated March 30,1895, and No. 238,948,dated November 13, 1895; in England, No. 18,040, dated September 26,1895, and No. 20,714, dated September 18, 1896, and in Belgium, No.92,001, dated February 6, 1 896,) of which the following is aspecification.

It is a well-established fact that vegetable fibers exposed to strongacids and strong alkaline lyes are chemically changed. The vegetablefiber acquires a very great. attractive power for all dyes andcorrosives and becomes forty per cent. to fifty per cent. stronger. Thisis attended, however, with the disadvantage that a vegetable fibershrinks, ac-

cording to the fluid applied, from thirty-six per cent. to fifty percent.-in hard twisted yarn still more. In many publications mercerizing(so called after the English inventor John Mercer, 1844) is exactlydescribed, as in the Handbook of Coloring and Spinning Fibers, 1895, by1). Ed. Knecht, Ch. Ransom, and Dr. Ed. Lowenthal. At the top of page 71is the following: Yet the process has never been used to a considerableextent, probably on account of the great shrinkage of the web, whichincreases the cost without affording to the manufacturer or tradesmancorresponding advantage. (See also Hummel-Knecht, pages 8 and 9, andothers.)

Everywhere is attention called to the great injury of shrinking. TheLyons firm, Garnier & Fr. Voland, employs the property of vegetablefiber becoming shorter by mercerizing to produce in webs peculiarembossed original length, is laid in folds.

patented a process of mercerizing.

effects. These webs consist of silk and have (mostly in the chain)single cotton threads at fixed distances. If the webs are now treatedwith the fluids above named, the cotton becomes. shorter and the silk,which keeps its Thus the most diversified pattern may be produced. Thisapplication of mercerizing (takingadvantage of the shrinking of thecotton) has been patented by Messrs. Garnier 6r Fr. Vo land. I-Ieymann,in. Muhlhausen, has also It also employs the peculiarity of shrinking toproduce effects in webs entirely of cotton.

After great effort the avoidance of contraction has by my invention beenattained either by preventing the shrinking or by stretching accordingto a peculiar process. The mercerized fiber, as web or yarn, is thus,with its many valuable properties, made useful in industry and to thetrade.

First. The vegetable fiber, in a rope form or as web in a tensecondition, is exposed to the action of strong lyes or acids and afterreaction (which can be detected by its parchment appearance) is washedout, retaining the tension until the interior tensions of the fiber haverelaxed. If the web or yarn is then taken from the stretching apparatus,it can be further treated without fear. of shrinkage.

Second. Instead of a special stretching apparatus the fiber may be puton spools or bobbins or similar apparatus. When the threads arestretched in order to expose them to the action of strong alkaline lyesor acids, a special apparatus should be used to cause the preparationliquids and the water for washing to pass through.

Third. The vegetable fiber in web, yarn, or other form may be treated byfirst subjecting it to a sufficient stretching action to extend thematerial beyond its original dimensions, then treating the stretchedfibrous material with the mercerizing fluid until the material assumes aparchment-like appear ance, next subjecting the material to a furtherstretching action while it is under the action of the mercerizing fluidand continuing the stretching until a peculiar silky luster appears, andthen finally washing or otherwise removing the mercerizing fluid fromthe fibrous material. The third process is a modification or extensionof the process mentioned in No. 1.

By our improved process the very great capacity for expansion of thevegetable fibers while wet with the lye is employed to stretch them tothe original length and often beyond. If the fibers were washed withwater before stretching, then it would not be possible to stretch themto their original length. They would merely tear after slightstretching. The best alkaline lye is caustic potash or caustic soda in.a solution of 13 to 38 Baum, which, when cold, has no injurious effecton the vegetable and animal fibers. As an acid, strong sulfuric acid of49.5 to 55.50 Baum is recommended, the application of which, however,must be effected with great care, and especially must it be washed outwell after brief action. The reaction takes place in a very short time,especially when the cotton is well cleaned from oil and in a moistcondition. By special additions to the preparation bath the material,wet with the specified fluids, may be readily dried. The fabrics soproduced show the following valuable qualities: first, splendid silkyluster; second, considerably greater coloring power than ordinaryvegetable fibers, and, third, forty to fifty per cent. greater strength.The latter two peculiarities have long beenknown, but they were hithertoworthless for industry and trade because the fibers contracted too much.By this invention these advantages are secured and with them animportantand hitherto entirely unknown peculiaritynamely, a fine luster.

The very great attractive power for all coloring materials and mordantsis of great value. This property can be utilized in mixed webs toproduce on vegetable fibers dark colors or black or to give to silkother desired shades. Hitherto this kind of fabric must be colored inthe skein or black cotton must be woven with raw silk and later coloredin the piece. If dyeing is done with substantive coloring materials inproportionately weak color-bath, the prepared cotton colors very dark,while the silk, in consequence of the slight mingling of coloringmaterial in the bath, remains quite light and can then be colored in allshades. By the weaving of fast-colored chains or threads manifoldeffects maybe produced just as in weaving prepared and unprepared cottoninto cloths, velvets, plushes, and ribbons.

If the process is applied to narrow strongedged ribbons, velvet ribbonswith satin backs, or to velvet with cotton flowers,where the fiber inpreparation cannot or only with great difficulty be subjected tostretching, it is prepared before weaving. The same is done in theskein. The third property claimed certain modifications of our processcovered by the present case. The novelty claimed in said copendingapplication over our present case consists in subjecting the vegetablefiber to the action of the mercerizing fluid before it is stretched, andwhile it is being acted upon by the mercerizing fluid subjecting'it to asufiicient stretching action to elongate the material to produce thesilky luster. In our present case the fibrous material is stretched,either partially or wholly, before being subjected to the mercerizingfluid.

lVe are aware that it is common to treat fibrous materials with certainmercerizing fluids and other mordants while such material is held in amore or less stretched condition to prevent wrinkling and to cause theuniform action of the fluid upon the material; but we are not aware thatany one prior to our invention has discovered the important fact hereindisclosed-namely, that the fibrous material when subjected to asufficient stretching action throughout the mercerizing process will begiven a peculiar silklike luster. It is impossible to define in positiveterms the amount of stretching necessary to produce the peculiaractionwhich we clain' as our discovery; but it is sutficientlydefinitc for aproper understanding by those skilled in the art to say that thematerial must be st stretched during the mercerizing process that theindividual fibers will be elongated an the silk-like luster will beproduced. The result is so remarkable that one skilled in the art canreadily determine when the desired result has been accomplished.

We claim 1. The herein-described process of treating vegetable fiber forgiving it a silky luster and feel, which consists in subjecting thematerial to stretching, mercerizing it, maintaining the tension duringthe operation of mercerizing and, when such operation is completed.relaxing the tension, as set forth.

2. The herein-described process of treating tightly-spun long-fiberedvegetable fiber f0] giving it a silky luster and feel, which consists insubjecting the material to a stretching action, next subjecting thetightlystretched material to the action of a mercerizing fluid until itassumes a parchment-like appearance, and finally washing or otherwiseremoving the mercerizing fluid, maintaining the tension upon the wholeuntil the mercerizing fluid is removed, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The herein-described process of treating vegetable fibers, whichconsists in first stretching, then subjecting the stretched material tothe action of a mercerizing fluid until it assumes a parchment-likeappearance, next In witness whereof we have hereunto set subjecting thematerial to a greater tension our hands in presence of two witnesses.while under the action of the mercerizing fluid until a peculiar silkyluster appears, g fiii r 5 maintaining the tension while washing 0rotherwise removingthe mercerizing fluid from Witnesses the material,substantiallyas and for the pur- CARL WOLFE,

pose set forth. GEORGE GOMPERTZ.

